Onean Review – Adventureous Water Electronic Jetboard?

Have you ever dreamed of a self-propelled surfboard that could send you gliding over the water without the need for paddles, waves or towing? Dreamed of cutting smooth lines over glassy lakes just like snowboarding down a mountain?

A Spain based company called Onean has made your dream a reality with their revolutionary electric jetboard technology.

You heard right, it’s 2016 and now you can own your very own self-propelled electric jetboard, with all of the tech of a full size jetski packed into a compact surfboard form.

Onean promise to bring the world an entirely new sport that will allow riders to enjoy cruising at high speed over water.

Lightweight and fast, the Onean jetboard range is currently available for order and is set to turn the world of water sports upside down.

In this article we’ll cut through the hype surrounding the Onean jetboard and break down the capabilities, features, design and construction of the Onean range to help you decide whether the Onean jetboard can deliver the experience of your surfing dreams.

What is the Onean Jetboard?

The Onean Jetboard is a combination of advancements in small electric motor design and high capacity battery technology. Onean jetboards are available in three different flavours- the Manta, the Carver, and the mysterious and as yet unreleased ‘Blade’.

The Onean jetboard range is almost exactly what it says on the box- a self-propelled surfboard powered by jet technology to rocket riders over the water in any condition. Onean promises riders a completely new and never before felt sense of freedom over the water, with tide and wind dependencies becoming a thing of the past.

Design, Construction and Capabilities

The flagship of the Onean jetboard range is their Carver jetboard. With a sleek, tapered design created to cut smoothly through the water, the Carver boasts top speeds of over 40 kilometers per hour, or almost 25 miles per hour.

The structure of the Carver jetboard is an innovative sandwich of fiberglass around a CNC shaped core that contains the mechanicals and batteries of the board, which is powered by a revolutionary jet motor to power the rider over the water smoothly.

The Carver has a high capacity battery that can power the board at full speed for a little over twenty minutes, which can be increased by varying riding speed during use. The rider is secured to the board via two flexible footstraps to ensure stability in high speed turns and the entire board weighs around 12 kg or 26.5 lbs without the battery.

The Carver board is 245 cm or 8’ long and 75cm (nearly 30”° wide, about the size of a typical longboard, and delivers 4400W of electric thrust.

The Manta is designed at more idyllic outings over the water, and will appeal to riders who want to take the paddling out of paddleboarding. Heavier and squarer than the Carver, the Manta is more stable and buoyant, making it ideal for longer jaunts, cruising at lower speeds.

The Manta is similar to the Carver in it’s sandwich design and CNC core and uses the exact same battery, but is able to offer a longer battery life due to a more sedate power output.

The Manta has a max thrust of 450W which can propel the board up to a max speed of 8-10 km/h or roughly 5-6 mph, and can sustain this speed for up to two and a half hours.

At 90cm or 35” wide, the Manta is fatter than the Carver and is almost the same length, at 7’6” or 230cm long. The Manta is also quite a bit heavier than the Carver, weighing in at 16kg or 35lbs.

The ‘Blade’ is the third model in the Onean range, and Onean are remaining very tight lipped about the tech specs and capabilities of this third board. From the preview images that are available on the website, the Blade appears to be a smaller, thinner and more agile cousin to the Carver.

Both of the existing Onean boards are powered by a specifically designed brushless electric motor and a high efficiency axial water pump custom designed by Aquila Boards.

The battery inside both of the jetboards can be charged in two hours from a standard electrical outlet. The electric drive of the Onean range is a composition of first class electrical components created by Bizintek, an engineering firm based in spain.

The Onean Story

The Onean brand is owned by the international jetboard manufacturer Aquila, who have been designing and manufacturing jetboards since 2013.

The company was launched in 2013 to develop and distribute the jetboard concept from original prototype design to delivery, and in 2014 began marketing their first two models.

Onean and Aquila are based in Basque Country, an autonomous community in Spain famous for a huge surfing culture and pristine beaches. The Onean team consists of a wide range of professionals from many different industries and disciplines, from professional surfers to electrical engineering specialists.

The team manages all aspects of the board design and manufacture in house, from control algorithms development to industrial manufacturing propulsion units, to in-house assembly of the final product.

Onean Jetboard Pricing and Availability

The Onean Jetboard range is available for order via both the Onean and Aquila sites. Onean offer a wide range of accessories in combination with their Jetboards, and make each jetboard to order, meaning interested customers must first place an order via the site with jetboards being shipped in quarterly lots.

The Onean Carver is priced at roughly $4700 USD + shipping costs and relevant sales and import taxes. The Manta is priced at roughly $4800 USD + shipping and tax. Additional batteries can be ordered for roughly 1300 USD.

Onean offer multiple payment options on their jetboard range, with customers able to split payment between 70% up front and 30% on completion of the order. Although the price point for the Onean jetboard range is higher than a standard surfboard, the promise of combining the freedom of surfing with the speed of a jet ski will definitely be worth the price point for some